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Q2. (Matthew 7:15-20) Jesus says that one's inner self will eventually become apparent I am glad Jesus said," it is my inner self that others will see." We have the promise of a new life, found in Christ Jesus, so we have God's Spirit living in us. Jesus said,"He would not leave us alone, we will have the Holy Spirit;" So we can, and are expected to produce, good "fruit!" Others may be looking for my shortcomings, but God is looking for "fruit," fruit of the Spirit; (Galatians 5:22) love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - AND we who are Christ's are to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires, so we WILL walk in the Spirit, and the world will see the One who is living in us and His fruits. (Matthew 12:34). What kinds of "fruit" might be clues to a false prophet? A false prophets fruit is imitation fruit, poison to those who eat of it, so look for the clues, are their fruits promoting God's goodness, or "the fruit of self, of the flesh?" This makes me think about the serpent, Satan, who is very cunning in the words he speaks. The father of lies came to Eve, speaking words that came from his inner being, lies to deceive, to destroy God's work, as he tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit; why? so she would no longer bear good fruit, for she was created in God's image. Satan wanted to destroy this "faith" she had in God, and she didn't take notice of the fruit of the words he was speaking, and she took, and ate of the forbidden fruit. I would say a clue to a false prophet would be seen as opposit to those of the Spirit's fruit, cunning, wicked words, full of deceit, "promoting self" would be a important clue to me.

Q3. (Matthew 7:21-23) How is it possible to deceive yourself, so that you presume that you are "doing" when you are only "hearing"? Engraved in a cathedral in Germany are these words: Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us. You call Me Master and obey Me not. You call Me Light and see Me not. You call Me the Way and walk Me not. You call Me Life and choose Me not. You call Me Wise and follow Me not. You call Me Fair and love me not. You call Me Rich and ask Me not. You call Me Eternal and seek Me not. You call Me Noble and serve Me not. You call Me Gracious and trust Me not. You call Me Might and honor Me not. You call Me Just and fear Me not. If I condemn you, blame Ne not. (see James 1:22-25). How might it be possible to prophesy, drive out demons, and perform miracles in Jesus' name and not enter the Kingdom of heaven? The Lord used Balaam, even though he was not right with God. King Saul prophesied even though his heart was far from God. God can do whatever He wants to do, and He can use whom ever He wants to use. It is God's ministry, not mans. Watch out for any ministry that promotes "self"

Q1. (Matthew 7:13-14) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. If Jesus' teaching about the narrow gate and the narrow road to life is to be believed, what change would this make in how you conduct your life? A big change has come! As I made the decision to enter through the narrow gate, I knew it would bring changes in I my life. (changes much needed, that I could not do) I entered in because the admission had already been paid, and because it promised the road would be by rivers of water, It would bring fruit in its season, so I would not wither, and whatsoever I do, I will prosper, have life. The road I am traveling on is named, "Road of Righteousness." God has given to me a good map to follow, His directions found in His law, the law He wrote with His finger. Jesus paid the price of admission, so I may receive life; and I can see more clearly what the goal to life is, it is "love," love for God and for my neighbors; The Holy Spirit is my guide along the way, helping me to make it through the pot holes in the road, and the many detours; the Holy Spirit, my guide is there to help me stay on the strait way, which leadeth unto life. What difference would it make to how you witness to your neighbors? My witness would be best seen in how I live my life, not just in what I say. How might it affect your acceptance of Universalism? Universalism, a general or widely held principle held by the worlds view point, broad in subject matter is the broad way. The worlds ways are not God's ways. The broad gate is the worlds way with all its distractions that lead away from the road that brings life, the narrow gate God has for us. The choice is up to us, do we want life, or distruction? It is hard for me to understand, why so many choose distruction?

Q2. (Matthew 7:7-8) Which lesson is taught in both the Parables of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-10)and the Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-6)? LUKE 11:5-10 - Jesus is teaching us the importance of having a prayer life. Jesus story is about a man who is reluctant to crawl over his children to get to the door that is closed, but, we know our Father never sleeps (Psalm 121:3) He is always ready to hear our knocking at His door. Jesus now brings us to the 2nd part of the story, the importance of a "persistent" prayer life. What we might want today, may not be what we want tomorrow; so as we continue to go before Him with our requests, and they are not answered as we would like, we know our Father is still there, and He will open the door at the right time, or, He might leave the door shut, why? because we asked amiss, or, it would not be for our good. Why should we continue to knock? He loves hearing from us, for in the end it is seeking after Him that we "crave" all along, and that He craves hearing from us. It is called, RELATIONSHIP, BONDING. LUKE 18:1-6 is a story about a widow who went before a judge,a judge that did not fear God, nor did he have any regard for her well being. However, because of her constant pleading, and begging, the judge heard her case. We do not have to plead, or beg God, what we have to do is, ASK, SEEK, KNOCK. This is not begging, for we know our God is not an unjust judge, He is a loving Father, and we are His children. This is why we are persistent at knocking at His door, persistant at seeking after His will in our lives. It is because of persistence, our continuing in "faith" that we continue to knock, why? because we know our being is dependent on Him. Thank you, Jesus. How do these relate to the commands in Matthew 7:7-8? They are related to the command in Matthew 7:7-8 by our PERSISTENCE, staying in "love" with our God, and staying in "faith." Persistence is faith in action. -- Ask, stay in "faith" - Seek, "worshipping God" - knock, anticipating His opening the door, knowing when He does, it will be at the right time, and for our good.

Q4. (Matthew 7:12) In what way does the "Golden Rule" capsulize the message of the law and the prophets? Because we love God first, the message of the law and the prophets is capsulized in one word - "LOVE" The 'GOLDEN RULE" is capsulized in our loving others, how? Because we first loved God. God has spoken this to us, and it is because of our love for God, that we desire to keep His commandments, we know they are for our good. In the law of Moses, the first four are related to our loving the God of Israel, our God first, and the last six are related to how we are to love each other, capsulizing the Golden Rule of love on our hearts. This seems like a different "summary" of the law and the prophets than Jesus indicated in Matthew 22:37-39. How are they the same? They are the same in the relation they have to each other, we cannot love others, unless we love God first. This is the first and greatest commandment Jesus said unto them, a scripture He knew so well... Deu 6:45 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. It is through the greatest commanment, to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our might, that we are able to love our neighbor.

Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? Father God is just who He says He is, a Father to us. A Father full of love, mercy, and grace, who has our best in mind. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? As we go to our Father with our requests, we know, He will give to us what is GOOD. How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? I never thought of God as being anything other than a positive God; Because He sent His Son, who made it possible for me to go to Him in prayer. Yes, He has shown me He is a positive God, and He delights in giving to me that which is good; the most important part being, that I grow in His grace and in His righteousness. I use to think the answers to my prayers depended on MY "faith." If the answer wasn't what I asked for, it was because I didn't have enough "faith," when all along, it had nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with Him, because He knows what is for my "good."

Q1. (Matthew 7:7-8) What do the words "ask," "seek," and "knock" have in common? The one thing they have in common are the words, crave, desire and require. Each of the words have the same meaning. What distinguishes them from each other? Progression is what distinguishes them from each other. Does one word convey more intensity than another? Yes, each word expressed brings us closer to the door being opened unto us. Ask, meaning "required" What is required of us? Asking in "faith" - confidence, and it will be given to us; Asking, faith in action, brings us to the "desire" to SEEK after God, we seek, even more than that, we crave to find Him, to have His will be done in our life, that which is for our good, putting "faith" in action; and it brings us to the door, the door that we earnestly knock at, persevering, until the door opens unto us, and it will open, because of persevering "faith" What is the significance of the present, continuous, imperative tense of these verbs? They show to me "Faith" is a growing process, a continuous, daily walk. My daily goal, my desire is to love Him, why? Because He opened the door to my heart.

Q4. (Matthew 7:6) In Jesus' day, what did dogs and pigs have in common? Dogs, the Jews called Gentiles' dogs, because they were unbelievers, did not believe in the one God of Israel. Phi 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Pigs, the Jews had nothing to do with pigs, they were a ceremonially unclean animal, it symbolized a person's unredeemed nature. A person reached his lowest, if they had to take care of the pigs. What would holy food and pearls have in common? Read Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:44-51; 18:5-6; and 28:17-28. Holy food is that which is sacred, holy food is what God has given to us, His Word, holy food indeed. Pearls represent that which is highly valuable, and we see its true meaning in Christ Jesus, the "pearl of great price."= Righteousness. In what kinds of circumstances did believers turn away from a continued sharing of the gospel? They turned away from those who would tramble on what is Holy, priceless, highly valued; Those who will only argue, back bite, those who speak evil, and to those who love to wallow in the muddy pits of sin, comfortable living in the flesh. To what kinds of people did they continue their witness? This brings to my mind Mat 15:26 But He, Jesus, answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. This story is about a woman of Canaan, who came out and cried unto Jesus, saying, "Have mercy on me, o Lord,Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. Jesus did not answer her, and the disciples asked Jesus to send her away. (She was a heathen woman from Canaan) Jesus answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" But, what did this woman, who they called a dog, a heathen do? She came and worshipped Jesus, asking Him for help. Even after Jesus said it is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs, that she answered, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. What a lesson to the disciples, and to us, as Jesus said unto her, "O woman, great is your faith; your daughter will be made whole this very hour. Yes, there are heathen people who are hungry to hear, to believe, so lets not waste what is valuable on those who are not hungry, do not want to believe, time is short, and God's holy food, His Word, is too valuable to waste on those who have ears that will not hear.

Q3. (Matthew 7:3-5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Why do you think Jesus compares a speck of sawdust with a plank or beam? Jesus is making His point very clear, so we will understand what He is teaching us. One person has a tiny piece of dried wood, a splinter in his eye; others would be able to see it, if they are looking hard to find it. The other person has a huge rafter protruding out of his eye, you don't have to look hard to see it. What does the speck represent? If I understand this correctly, a dried up piece of wood, that is a size of a splinter would represent sin under grace. It at one time was sin, seen as a rafter, but, because that person was being molded, changed, the rafter is now the size of a splinter. What does the plank represent? SIN. A plank, a rafter, is a support beam, and sin is not to be our support, our witness, our master. According to this parable, when is it okay to remove a speck? When is it not okay? There are times when we are to judge, as we see in v 6, it is to be given in love, and by a person who does not have a rafter protruding out of his eye, full of criticism and fault finding.

Q2. (Matthew 7:1-2) Read a similar passage in Luke 6:37-38. Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. -- According to Matthew's account, what is our fate if we measure out big heaps of judgment with a critical spirit? If we bring harsh words against another, to condemn them, when there is no need for such judgment; We will receive this same kind of judgment from God, and rightly so, for we are not following the Holy Spirits leading, we have fallen into the old self, "flesh" According to Luke's account, Luke 6:37-38 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. How can measuring be both positive and negative? The positive, depends on how we judge others, God will delight in giving back to us, even more than what we gave. Negative, depends on how we judge others, we will find God giving back to us, pressed down, the same measure we delt out, ouch! The positive, and the negative judgments from God, all depend on our choice, on how we treat others. What should we measure out instead of judgmentalism? LOVE. We must seek after God and His righteousness first, and than we will be more able to love others. What have we been saved from? We who are saved from God's judgment of death, we are now more able to distinquish between works of the flesh, or the works, the fruit of the Spirit. James 2:24 tells us, "man is justified by works, and not by faith only." Let others see our works of LOVE, and see how much the Father will give to us for doing so.

Q4. (Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.)What is the command in this verse? How must our seeking God differ from our seeking of food and clothing, according to this verse? The command is for us to first worship God, by seeking, endeavouring, to live a righteous life; a life showing the world, we are a child of His, we are clothed in His righteousness, not clothed in the things of this world and its worries. What is the promise found in this verse? All things shall be added unto us, heavenly things, and earthly things. Great promise indeed, and what for? endeavouring to love God Almighty.

Q5. (Matthew 6:34) Is there humor intended in verse 34? What is the point of Jesus' joke here? What is the command in this verse? at 6:34 - I guess I don't see humor in verse 34. The point Jesus is making is, it is important we commit our way unto God, because We will find many of our days to be full of anxiety, and evil, so don't take thought about what might come. Take thought on who holds tomorrow, who holds each day we live. As those trials of the days come, and they will, we will have confidence in God, why? because we have put our trust in Him, not giving thought, becoming anxious about tomorrow, before tomorrow even comes. It is good to wake up each day in praise and worship to God, trusting Him that whatever comes our way, we are ready, because we know God is on our side, and we are on His. PS: I found humor in what Eudora said, "be happy, don't worry" That is what Jesus is telling us, and in that I see humor.

Q3. (Matthew 6:31-32) Why does Jesus mention the "pagans" or "Gentiles" in verse 32? A Gentile is a heathen, a non Jewish person, one who does not believe in the one and only God, the God of Abraham. They are a person lost, without hope, their hope is found in the gods of this world. What point is he making? The Gentiles are seeking, an intense craving for the things of this world, How should a Christian differ from a Gentile, according to Jesus' teaching in this passage? A Christian is that Gentile person who was lost, without hope, but because of Jesus, the Son of God, the Gentile has been grafted the into the true Olive Tree, God's covenant with Israel. The true God is now the Christians God, His name is Yaweh, our heavenly Father. We now have hope in tomorrow, we now have peace that replaces the anxiety that once filled our lives, why? because our trust is in Him, Father God. Our hope is in Him, not in self. What emotional and faith effect does the phrase, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them," have in your life? Father God has shown me how much He cares about my every need. He sent His Son, so I could be reconciled to Him. It is because of my faith in Father God, and His love for me, that my being is full of emotion and love for Him, for Jesus, for the Holy Spirit.

Q2. (Matthew 6:25-34) How many times in this passage does the phrase "do not worry," "do not be anxious," or "take no thought" occur? 5? In what way does excessive worry border on sin? Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Take no thought, be not anxious, reminds me of Martha and Mary, as seen in Luke 10:41-42 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful - meaning, (anxious, taking thought of )and troubled, meaning (disturbed) about many things: But one thing is needful (required) and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Worry, as God was talking about is, being in tumult, intense fear or dread, defined as Anxiety. This anxiety does take us out of living in "faith" and becomes "sin." There is a worry that I define as concerns of this life, concerns we face almost daily, we have many things to be concerned about, I do not think this kind of worry, or concerns, is defined as "sin" - It becomes "sin" when we let it rule our lives, instead of God. It becomes sin when we do not bring our concerns to God in prayer, faith believing, that whatever tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow. I see God is teaching me, how not to let the concerns of this world, take control of my life, let not my life become a slave to the concerns I face. Mary let the concerns of life overcome her, taking first place in her life, that she became disturbed and troubled about many things, and in so doing, she lost sight of the most important part of the day, resting in Him, being with Him, putting her concerns on Him. This is what is REQUIRED of us, to not let the cares of this life take control over us. We do have many concerns, let them stay as concerns, by not letting our minds think on the troubles that come, but to put our minds on who is in control, God, the God of Abraham is in control of our lives, thanks to Calvary. Are worry and trust exact opposites? "Worry" meaning, anxiety, tumult, is not the same as "trust" meaning, confidence, ability, something committed into the care of another. I am thankful that God is teaching me how to walk the walk, and to talk the talk. I am so happy that this is a learning process, and that I have the Holy Spirit to help me along the way. For me to grow in my faith, to grow in my trust, I have to be willing to learn, and that is what I am willing to do.

Q1. (Matthew 6:26-30) What point does Jesus make with his twin Parables of the Birds of the Air and of the Flowers of the Field? Is the point trivial or is it valid? It is valid. The point being, if our Master is Father God, then our being should not be full of anxiety. To come to this state, we must understand, God has everything in His control, and that is where He wants us to be, under His wing. Therefore, we don't have to be anxious, overly concerned about tomorrow, but what we do have to do is, live a life that would glorify God. Be thankful for what God has given to us, not just when things are going our way, the test is in those times when things are not going our way. This is what we call "faith." Faith like Job, "Even if He slay me, yet will I trust Him."